Cecilia Au-Yang - Delicious Hong Kong style recipes

Chinese Savoury Pancakes 300 g (10 oz) plain flour teaspoon soda bicarbonate 1 teaspoon salt teaspoon chicken powder teaspoon sugar 600 ml (2 cups) stock 90 g ( cup) ham, diced 60 g ( cup) carrot, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced 30 g ( cup) dried shrimps, diced 90 g ( cup) green leeks, diced teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon sesame oil Oil for frying Sift the flour and soda bicarbonate into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and stir in the salt, chicken powder and sugar. Gradually pour in the stock and make a thick batter. Add the ham, carrot, dried shrimps and leeks to the batter, stir in the pepper and sesame oil and set aside for 30 minutes. Heat a griddle or pan with a little oil. Pour in 2 tablespoons batter to shallow fry on medium high heat till both sides are golden.

Remove the pancakes on to a platter and keep warm. Continue the process until the batter is finished. Serve hot. Serves 46
Preparation time: 45 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Turnip Pudding Turnip pudding is made from Chinese turnip, or large daikon radish, which is grated, simmered with dried shrimp, mushrooms and preserved sausage, then steamed to make a cake. It is sliced and fried before serving. 2 kg (4 lb) Chinese turnip (daikon radish), washed, peeled and coarsely grated (reserve all the juices) 60 g ( cup) dried shrimps, cleaned and soaked for 1 hour until soft, diced 60 g ( cup) Chinese mushrooms, soaked for 1 hour until soft 34 preserved lap cheong (Chinese sausages), washed 2 tablespoons olive oil tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon chicken powder teaspoon pepper 300 g (3 cups) plus 3 tablespoons rice flour 3 spring onions, diced Place the grated turnip (and juices) into a large saucepan.

Arrange the dried shrimps, mushrooms and lap cheong on top of the shredded turnip, cover and simmer over very low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. Turn off heat. Remove the mushrooms and sausages and, when cool enough to handle, dice. Return to the pan and mix thoroughly. Turn heat on again to low.

Add the oil, salt, sugar, chicken powder and pepper to the turnip, then sift in the rice flour. Stir vigorously until well blended. Ladle the mixture into a greased, round metal tin measuring 20 to 24 cm (8 to 9 in) in diameter. Transfer to a large steamer to cook over high heat for 1 hour, checking after 30 minutes that the water in the steamer has not dried up. Add more boiling water if required. Remove the pudding from the steamer and smooth the top with a greased spatula before sprinkling the diced spring onion on top.

Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then cut into thick slices and shallow fry until both sides are golden brown. Serve hot. If you do not obtain enough juice from the grated turnip, add a little water when needed to prevent the turnip from sticking to the pan and burning. Serves 68
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 2 hours

Sweet Corn and Tofu Chowder 1 tablespoon oil 1 teaspoon rice wine 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable or chicken stock (from fresh stock or stock cubes) small carrot, diced 6 straw mushrooms, diced 6 fresh shiitake or Chinese mushrooms, diced 300 g (10 oz) soft tofu, diced 200 g (1 cup) fresh or frozen sweet corn 2 tablespoons green peas 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cornflour dissolved in 2 tablespoons stock or water teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon sesame oil Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan, then add the rice wine and let it sizzle before pouring in the chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to the boil. Add the carrot and mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the diced tofu and sweet corn, simmer another 5 minutes, then add the green peas and salt. Add the cornflour mixture and stir until the soup thickens to the consistency of chowder. Add the pepper and sesame oil and serve hot. Serves 24
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Chicken and Ginseng Soup chicken, about 450 g (1 lb), skin and fat discarded 300 g (10 oz) lean pork 2 tablespoons sliced American ginseng 3 dried Chinese red dates, washed and pitted 1 slice ginger, lightly smashed 2 litres (8 cups) water 1 teaspoon salt Bring a pot of water to the boil. Blanch the chicken in the boiling water for 12 minutes, then rinse and drain. Blanch the pork the same way.

Place all the ingredients, except the salt, in a large pot and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for two hours. Add the salt and serve hot. Ginseng is a highly prized medicinal root, sometimes used in cooking herbal soups. Available from Korean and Chinese supermarkets. American ginseng is one of the less expensive varieties of this root with a divided shape that resembles a human body. It is considered to be a general, all-healing tonic, and is available fresh or dried in supermarkets or Chinese apothecaries.

Serves 24
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 2 hours

Steamed Rice with Twin Sausages 280 g (1 cups) rice, washed and soaked for 20 minutes, drained 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 400500 ml (12 cups) water 2 pork sausages, rinsed and patted dry 2 liver sausages, rinsed and patted dry 1 spring onion, diced Seasoning 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar teaspoon pepper Place the rice into a medium pot, claypot or flame-proof casserole, stir in the salt and oil and mix well. Pour in the 500 ml water. Arrange the pork sausages on top of the rice, cover and bring to the boil over low heat, about 10 minutes. Continue to simmer another 3 minutes, then add the liver sausages to the rice. Replace lid and cook on very low heat for another 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the Seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Remove the sausages and slice on an angle. Arrange the sliced sausages on the rice, pour the sauce over the rice and sprinkle the spring onion on top. Serve hot in the casserole. Serves 2
Preparation time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins

Fried Rice with Minced Beef and Lettuce 100150 g ( cup) minced beef 5 teaspoons oil 1 egg, beaten 450 g (3 cups) cooked rice 1 tablespoon light soy sauce teaspoon pepper 100 g (1 cup) lettuce, shredded 1 teaspoon diced spring onion 1 teaspoon sesame oil Marinade 2 teaspoons light soy 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon wine Pinch pepper 1 teaspoon cornflour 60 ml ( cup) water 1 tablespoon olive oil Combine all Marinade ingredients except for the oil. Add the beef, stir well, and set aside for 10 minutes.

Stir in the oil and leave for a further 5 minutes. Heat a wok with 3 teaspoons of the oil and fry the minced beef until it just loses its pinkness, breaking it up with a fork as it cooks. In a clean wok, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil and scramble the egg for 20 seconds. Stir in the cooked rice and saut well. Add the light soy and pepper, minced beef and shredded lettuce to fry evenly. Sprinkle in the diced spring onions and the sesame oil.

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